for this dance we'll move with each other
by TessaStarDean
Summary: danny raising grace on his own. a new member on the team. a gang war that goes higher than any of them realize. dannyOC. SteveKono.
1. Chapter 1

Kono tried not to panic as she raced to the hospital. The cop who had called her said that Chin would be fine. He was banged up and the hospital was insisting on keeping him overnight for the cracked ribs, but it could have been so much worse. The cop had sent her a picture of the car wreck, and Kono had thrown up a hard and fast prayer of thanks that her cousin was still alive.

That wasn't the only thing weighing on her, though. McGarrett and Danny should have been with her, promising her – even if it was only with a sympathetic glance – that everything was going to be okay. But they weren't answering their phones. She had seen them earlier in the morning and they hadn't checked in since. It wasn't unusual for the boss to get caught up in something, but one of them almost always called. They were a team, and they all took that to heart.

So why did it feel like she was all alone?

Between her badge and the grim determination on her face, it didn't take long for her to get past the nurses' station. Chin was still in the ER – it would be awhile before they could free up a room for him – and he smiled at her through the bruises on his face.

"Cuz," he greeted warmly. "Why the long face?"

"Don't even start with me," she ground out, noticing that her hands had balled into fists. "What the hell happened?"

He looked like he wanted to shrug, but the motion caused him too much pain. Car came out of nowhere. SUV. Huge grill added to the front. It slammed into the passenger side and rolled me over."

Kono frowned. "There was no other car at the scene. I talked to HPD -"

"I know." He gestured to the small table next to him, where his wallet and phone were. "Check the phone."

Still not understanding, she picked up the phone. She knew that the only reason it had survived the crash was because of the metal case Chin kept it in – even so, the screen was cracked. There was one new text message from an unavailable number, and she met her cousin's eyes briefly before reading it.

_Let's see what she can do without her boys._

Every muscle in her body tensed as a cold knot settled in the pit of her stomach.

"Where are McGarrett and Danny?" Chin asked.

Kono fled from the room, the phone still clutched in her hand.

She called both of their phones three more times as she kept her foot heavy on the gas pedal. They went straight to voicemail, causing the knot in the pit of her stomach to tighten even as it grew larger. Kono had gone through a lot in her time with 5-0, but she was used to having her team at her back. The thought that she might be the only one left standing...

She swallowed down the lump in her throat and tightened her grip on the steering wheel.

Steve's house was the first pace she tried, simply because she didn't know where else to start. They could be anywhere on the island - and that was too overwhelming for her to deal with at the moment.

It was obvious as Kono pulled into the driveway that she had chosen correctly. Danny's Camaro was in the driveway and the front door was open. Gun in hand, she entered the house, heart pounding and mouth dry.

The inside was a wreck. Broken furniture and glass littered the floor, and she could see some streaks of blood across the latter. Her stomach tightened against the sight, but she focused on the job, going room by room and clearing the house.

It was empty.

Holstering her weapon, Kono pulled out her phone and called HPD.

There were prints all over the main rooms of the house. Some were Steve and Danny's, but the rest belonged to a list of names that Kono was already familiar with.

Two weeks ago, 5-0 had come down hard on a local gang involved in drugs, trafficking and murder. At least three-quarters of the group had been arrested, and that included their leader. The man had almost made it out, but Kono had intercepted him. He made the mistake of engaging her in hand-to-hand and she took him down, disrespecting him in front of his crew.

It was obviously a dishonor that they weren't going to stand for.

Kono didn't know where the rest of the gang was, but she had a couple of ideas. She could run them down while Forensics finished going through the evidence they had collected. Maybe she would get lucky.

She didn't want to think about what might happen if she didn't.

The sun was setting when she pulled up to the last warehouse. As she had at all the others, Kono parked some distance away, making sure that her car wouldn't be seen. The fading light gave her an even bigger advantage, and she pulled dark clothes out of her backseat. With the open trunk giving her cover, she silently changed, slipping on a vest over everything.

Unlike the other places she had tried, this warehouse was obviously occupied. Six cars were parked in the lot, which meant there were at least six guys she was going to have to deal with. Kono was pretty sure it was more, though. Two sentries were moving around the building but she evaded them easily, using everything McGarrett had taught her. Making sure to keep them in her sights, she crept over to the nearest windows, hiding in the shadows as she peered in.

Steve and Danny were both hanging by their arms, conscious. Even from that distance, Kono could see the dried blood on the side of Steve's face. She knew that the only way they could have taken him was by extreme force and surprise. With the eight guys she saw inside, Danny never would have stood a chance on his own.

Slipping out her phone and double-checking to make sure the sentries were still within sight, she dialed HPD.

"This is Officer Kalakaua, badge number 3982. Requesting backup at the warehouse on Blue Ridge Pier. I've got ten hostiles and two cops being held hostage."

"Sending backup as soon as possible," the operator replied. "Be advised, there's been a huge accident on Kamehameho Highway and an undercover bust. We're spread a little thin tonight."

As Kono glanced through the windows again, she realized that she couldn't wait for backup that might not get there for another hour. There wasn't just blood on the side of Steve's face – she could see cuts and bruises all over both men, and their clothing was torn as well. She needed to go in now, and she needed to go in hard.

The sentries were first. She didn't use her gun, knowing that the sound would alert the others to her presence. Instead, she slid through the darkness silently and knocked them out one by one, tying their hands to make sure they stayed out of the fight even if they regained consciousness. She got lucky when two more guys stepped out for a smoke break. They moved out of the light spilling from the door and she took them down as well. Her heart was pounding and her hands were shaking, but she didn't stop to analyze.

Four down, six to go.

Through the adrenaline, Kono could barely feel her fear. She saw the warehouse laid out in her mind the way she had seen it and then she was moving in, gun raised and voice loudly identifying her as HPD.

They turned and opened fire.

She didn't hesitate. None of them were wearing vests. None of them had been ready for her to come storming in like a bat out of hell. But Kono could still see Chin lying in that hospital bed. And now two other members of her ohana had been beaten and tied up. If she had to, she'd kill them all.

Bullets flew past her, but she forced herself to stay focused. She aimed for their chests and her shots rang true, men falling to the ground one by one. The last one managed to get a shot off just before she did, the bullet striking the center of her vest and throwing her down. For a second, she couldn't breathe, her ears ringing as she struggled to push herself up.

"KONO!"

Steve's voice broke through the haze and then she could hear Danny as well, both of them coaxing her back up. Rolling over, she pushed herself off the floor, relieved to see that all six men were down. She stuck her gun in the back waistband of her pants and moved to the guys.

"You okay?" she asked, pulling out a knife and cutting through the restraints on Danny's wrists.

"We'll live," he replied. "I think."

Steve looked around. "Where's Chin?"

"Hospital. These bastards ran him off the road." She steadied Danny for a second before moving to Steve. "He's okay, but they're keeping him overnight."

She reached up to cut through the restraints on Steve, stumbling slightly as he leaned his weight into her. That alone told her how hard they had hit him and she slipped her arms around his waist to hold him up.

"I've got you," she said quietly.

He frowned, eyes settling on the door that opened up onto the night. "Where's your backup?"

She chuckled. "Sorry. You're stuck with just me, Boss."

Steve opened his mouth to reply to that, but then his eyes caught sight of something moving in the shadows. It took him half a second longer than it should have to realize that someone was on the scaffolding above them and that they were holding a gun.

"Kono, get down!"

He pulled her body against his and reached for the gun she had in her waistband. His body moved on autopilot, taking quick aim and squeezing off four shots. Six echoed through empty warehouse, though, and Kono's cry of pain told him that he hadn't been quick enough. Even as the last attacker fell dead, Steve was turning his focus to his teammate.

Her hand was pressed to her leg and thick dark blood was seeping through her fingers. She bit her lip against the pain, wincing when Danny came up behind her and maneuvered her into his embrace.

"I got her."

"Danny –"

"You can barely hold yourself up, you big lug," he replied. "I got her. Call 911."

Kono shook her head. "Don't bother."

"Babe, you're bleeding –"

"Accident on Kamehameho. Undercover bust. Why do you think I came in alone?"

"Dammit. Your car?"

"Keys are in my pocket. Parked a quarter mile to the west."

Despite his own injuries, Danny lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the warehouse. Steve followed, holding Kono's gun at the ready in case there were any other bad guys they didn't know about. But they made it to the car without incident and he slid into the cramped backseat with Kono, helping her to put pressure on the wound.

"Drive fast, Danno," he urged.

He nodded and the car roared back onto the road.


	2. Chapter 2

Danny leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched his partner pace. The ER doctor had diagnosed Steve with a probable concussion, but once their wounds had been bandaged, both men were out the door. They didn't need to discuss it - Kono was in surgery, and neither of them was going to rest until she came through it safely.

The hospital was a madhouse. The accident on the highway had been caused by a truck spinning out of control and crashing onto the other side of the road. It had been rush hour, with cars flying home well above the speed limit. Nine of them had the misfortune of being in the truck's path, and two of them had burst into flame. Other vehicles had been unable to avoid the collision, and the whole thing had turned into one giant clusterfuck.

And his partner was pacing. Danny knew the accident - or even the undercover bust that had landed a bunch of cops in the same hospital - barely even registered for Steve. His only concern was Kono and the guilt that was already biting at his heels.

"Steven, stop."

He just shook his head and kept pacing. Danny didn't think that was a good idea when his brains were already scrambled from the concussion. Stepping forward, he caught Steve by the shoulders and blocked his path.

"Babe. Seriously. You need to stop before you make yourself dizzy. I am not picking your big ass up off the floor."

Steve shook his head, wincing slightly. "She shouldn't have gone in alone."

"You would have. Hell, me and Chin would have, too! You can't blame her for doing her job, and you can't blame yourself because some big buffoon clocked you with a metal pipe!"

"If she's not okay..."

"She will be," Danny said firmly. He prayed to God he was right.

"Commander McGarrett?"

They both turned to see Governor Matthews striding toward them, his impeccable fitted black suit looking completely out of place amidst the chaos. Danny wasn't a big fan of their new boss - mostly because he asked stupid questions and acted like 5-0's job was to make him look good - and his timing wasn't helping with that.

"Governor..."Steve said slowly. "What are you doing here?"

Matthews spread his hands. "We've got quite a few cops here tonight, Commander. It's part of my job to check in on them."

_I bet you can't even name one,_ Danny thought darkly.

"Yes, sir," Steve replied, his mind obviously still with his own teammates.

"I'm actually glad that I ran into you. Do you remember what we discussed earlier in the week?"

He frowned, blinking as he searched his memory. "The addition to my team?"

Matthews nodded briskly. "Exactly. I wanted to introduce her to you, since she'll be starting Monday."

Steve frowned. "Governor, I hardly think this the time..."

"Governor!"

All three men turned at the sharp British voice, and Danny was surprised to see a short blonde woman barreling down the hallway toward them, pushing her way past the small pockets of people. Her hair had been tied back at one point, but now it seemed to be escaping everywhere and there were cuts on her face. She wore a flak jacket that was left hanging open over a long-sleeved shirt, and she looked madder than hell.

Matthews tried to smile. "Detective..."

She just waved him off. "You think that _now_ is an appropriate time to pull me away from my team? I have men in surgery. I've got one man in the burn unit. Not to mention -"

"I am well aware of your men, Detective Marcotte," he said firmly. "And I am not unsympathetic. But there is nothing you can do for them at the moment, and you're starting with your new team in two days. Five minutes to put names to faces and then you can get back."

She didn't look completely mollified, and Danny wondered if she was going to rip into the governor again. Steve stepped forward, though, one hand outstretched.

"We understand how you feel, Detective," he said, his voice tight. "We've got two of our own in here tonight."

She stared at him for a moment before sighing, the anger leaving her, at least momentarily, and shook his hand. "Gabrielle Marcotte. Gabby."

"Steve McGarrett. And this is Danny Williams."

The governor smiled at them all and then made a gesture that was apparently supposed to be a subtle excuse to leave. Gabby barely noticed, though, her grip on Steve tightening.

"McGarrett? Your team is 5-0?"

"Yeah..."

She dropped his hand. "Where are Kono and Chin?"

They both frowned, but it was Danny that spoke. "How do you know them?"

"I've been friends with them for years. Please...are they alright?"

"Chin is," Steve answered. "He was run off the road earlier, but he's fine. Kono..."

"She's in surgery," Danny finished for him, seeing the haunted look creeping into his partner's eyes again. "Gunshot to the leg."

"Is she going to be alright?"

"We're not sure. She...she lost a lot of blood on the drive over here."

Gabby let out a long breath, running a hand over her hair. "If I give you my cell, will you call me or text me when you know how she is? I would stay, but I have men -"

"Of course," Steve replied. "You were a part of the undercover bust?"

"My last case with my team. We worked with Narco to catch a few dirty cops involved in drug smuggling."

"Doesn't look like it went so well," Danny said quietly.

She shook her head, looking slightly dazed. "It was a trap." Her voice was almost hushed. "There were bullets everywhere. Someone threw a bloody grenade - that's why Anderson is in the burn unit. And he was the lucky one..."

"You lost someone?" Steve asked gently.

Gabby nodded. "A good man. And a damn fine cop. I don't suppose either of you knew Detective Corrigan?"

Danny sucked in a breath, slumping back against the wall. "I do. Did. Dammit."

Steve gave his partner a sympathetic look before turning back to Gabby. "Does his family know yet?"

She gave him a sad smile. "The force was his family. Ever since his wife died, we were all he had left." She took a deep breath. "I really do need to get back to them."

He pulled out his phone and took down her number. "I'll call," he promised. "Go see your team."

"It's strange," she said slowly. "Almost feels like I have two teams now. It was nice to meet you both. Hopefully the next time I see you, we'll all have some happier news."

With a tight nod, she turned and headed back down the hallway, no longer forcing her way down. Steve and Danny watched her go until she disappeared, the crowd swallowing her whole.


	3. Chapter 3

Gabby sighed, leaning against the doorway and looking at Gabe Anderson. His wife Catherine was there with him, sitting next to him and holding his hand. Both of them were smiling, though she could see the occasional wince from Gabe and the fear hiding behind their eyes. They knew that it had been a close call, and though that was just a part of being a cop, it never really got any easier.

"You gonna hide over there all night?" the big black man asked, throwing a playful smile at her.

Gabby rolled her eyes and walked over. "I was trying to be polite and give you a moment." She nodded at Catherine. "Hey."

"Hey. Thank you for pulling him out of there so quickly."

"I only wish I hadn't walked them in there in the first place."

"Not your fault," Gabe said firmly. "None of it." He paused. "Did you hear about Nick and Tony? They made it out of surgery okay."

She let out a long breath, briefly closing her eyes. "Thank God. And you?" She nodded at his leg. "What does the doctor say?"

Gabe shrugged. "I'll live. There might be some scarring, but honestly? I don't care. I'm just glad to still be breathing." He reached out and squeezed her right hand. "I'm sorry about Corrigan."

"So am I." She sighed, shaking her head. "I feel like shit for leaving you guys now."

"No way, sweetheart. You've wanted out of IAB for the past nine months. You finally got your shot and you're taking it. Any word yet on where they're sending you?"

"5-0. The governor actually pulled me aside in the ER to meet them. Apparently we're not the only ones that had a rough night."

"I've heard about McGarrett's team. They sound like good people." He shrugged, his eyes dancing. "You know...if you like getting shot at every other week."

"Well, it _has_ been awhile since I've had that kind of excitement on a regular basis."

"Something tells me you might be more of a bullet magnet than McGarrett."

"No," Catherine said firmly. "I do not plan on making regular hospital visits."

Gabby gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll do my best to keep that from happening."

They were all quiet for a moment before Gabe squeezed her hand again. "You look wiped."

"I believe there's a story about a pot and a kettle here..."

"Go home. Get some sleep."

She nodded. "A few more people to check in with and then I will. I promise." Leaning in, she kissed the top of his head. "I'll come see you tomorrow then."

"_After_ you've slept," he emphasized.

"Of course."

She rested a hand on Catherine's shoulder for a moment and then walked out, feeling slightly better now that she had seen one of her boys was okay.

* * *

><p>Kono was opening her eyes as Steve and Danny walked into the room, and she gave them a tired smile. Her limbs felt heavy and her head full of cotton, and it took her a minute to remember that she had been shot. The tingle in her legs told her that she was on some pretty impressive painkillers, for which she was grateful. She knew that there would be pain later, but she was okay, and so were her boys. That was all that mattered in her book.<p>

"You look like crap," Danny said as they stopped on either side of her, hands in his pockets.

"You should look in a mirror, brah," she retorted. "You got a license for that hair? It's like a wild animal."

"Ha ha. I'm glad to see your sense of humor didn't bleed out with the rest of you."

Steve's jaw clenched and he crossed his arms over his chest. "How you feeling, Kono?" he asked quietly.

"I am in a happy place, boss-man. They gave me the good drugs."

"You know what you did was pretty stupid, right?"

She rolled her eyes. "You totally woulda done the same thing."

"Thank you," Danny said. "That is exactly what I told him." He smiled down at her. "You did good, kid, you know that right?"

"I'm just glad everyone's okay." She glanced back over at Steve. "You're not gonna stand over there and hold a grudge, are you? 'Cause I gotta say, I don't really have the energy for that right now."

Steve looked down for a moment and then shook his head, giving her a small smile. "You saved our lives, Kono. And you did a damn good job of it. I'm proud of you."

She blushed. "Thanks."

"Well look who's feeling better."

All three of them turned to see Gabby standing in the doorway. She looked even more tired than she had the last time they had seen her, and she was still wearing her flak jacket. Kono's eyes widened when she saw her, her smile widening.

"Gabby? What are you doing here?"

"They haven't told you?"

"We hadn't gotten that far yet," Steve explained. "Kono, I'd like you to meet the newest member of 5-0."

"For real!"

"Is that alright with you?" Gabby asked.

"Are you kidding me? It's about time we had another woman on the team. Especially one that can keep these two in line."

"Excuse me?" Danny interrupted. "I don't think the _both_ of us need a babysitter. Since essentially, that has become _my_ job."

"When do you start?" Kono asked, ignoring him completely.

"Monday."

"Awesome." Her smile faded as she took in the rest of Gabby's appearance. "Why do you look like you got hit by a truck?"

Gabby shook her head. "Bust gone badly. I'll fill you in later."

"Did you lose anybody?"

"Corrigan."

"Oh, Gabby. I'm so sorry."

The British woman held up a hand. "Can we do the sympathy and the grieving tomorrow? I'm sorry, darling. I'm just too tired right now."

Kono nodded. "Of course -"

"What the hell is wrong with your arm?" Danny interrupted.

Gabby frowned. "What?"

"Your arm," he repeated, emphasizing each word. "Please tell me that is not blood soaking through your shirt."

She looked down at her left arm, taking in the fact that the fabric was darker there. She hadn't really given it a good look before, and now she could see that there were tiny pieces of glass embedded there. Her frown deepening, she moved to slide her flak jacket off and hissed in pain when it caught on a larger chunk.

Steve was by her side in an instant, holding the arm gingerly and inspecting it. "Danno -"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll find a doctor."

As he disappeared out into the hall, Steve looked at Gabby. "I think you've got a pretty big piece embedded in there. You're telling me you didn't feel that?"

She shrugged "Adrenaline high? I'm, uh...I'm starting to feel it now."

Danny was already coming back in with someone right behind him. "Look who I found."

Gabby looked up and smiled. "Hey, Malia."

"Hey. I hear you got yourself hurt."

Danny held up his hands in confusion. "Do you just know everybody we know?"

"She doesn't know Grace," Kono piped up from the bed.

"I have heard of her, though."

"You...you've heard of my daughter? That is a statement that requires further explanation."

"I've already explained that I've been friends with Chin and Kono for years. And they both love working with 5-0. I've heard quite a bit about the both of you."

Danny opened his mouth again, but Malia cut him off as she took a pair of scissors and sliced open the sleeve of Gabby's shirt. "We need to deal with this. You're going to need stitches at the least."

"Oh, Malia. It's just a scratch."

"A scratch?" Danny asked. "You've been walking around a hospital for the past four hours with a chunk of glass embedded in your arm and your shirt was literally _plastered_ to your skin by your own blood. And you call that just a scratch?"

Gabby looked at Steve. "Is he always like this?"

He nodded. "Pretty much."

Danny threw up his hands. "Great. Another McGarrett. Just what we need. I am really not sure my blood pressure can handle this. Are you proud of yourself?" he asked Steve. "Your insanity is catching."

Gabby sighed. "What is it with you yankees?" she muttered.

"Yankees? Oh, right. I forgot. Because everything from England is so much better."

"Well we at least know how to handle adverse situations better." She looked over at Steve again. "Please tell me he can at least hold his liquor."

Steve made a so-so gesture and they all burst out laughing as Danny opened up into another tirade.


	4. Chapter 4

"Well, he's dead," Gabby quipped as she stood over the body.

"Gee, you think?" Danny asked. "He's only got half of his face blown off."

"And he's been burned," Chin observed. "Shot and then set on fire. That's overkill to say the least."

"I was simply pointing out that they got the job done," she replied.

The heat was doing its best to be oppressive, but their crime scene was close to the water, and a cooling breeze came through steadily, turning it into a lovely day. Aside from the dead body at their feet, of course. Gabby looked around at the small crowd standing just outside of the yellow tape and frowned. It was early in the day, but the body was in a public enough spot that it should have attracted a much bigger group. Instead, people seemed to be bypassing the spot altogether, even keeping their eyes averted.

"Hey, boys," she called out over her shoulder, her hands on her hips.

"We do have names, you know," Danny retorted. "I realize you're the new girl and all, but they're not difficult. I'm sure a smart cop like you can retain that kind of information."

She rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Daniel, for that vote of confidence."

Steve sighed at their banter. "What's up?"

"Honolulu has a few gangs, yes?"

He nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"I've noticed that people tend to lose their curiousity when their lives might be in danger." Gabby gestured at the crowd. "And the people around here are acting the very opposite of curious this morning."

Steve gave the area a quick once-over, immediately seeing what she saw. "You would think a burned body would get more attention."

"I know that I would stop to gawk."

"That's slightly morbid, dear," Danny teased.

"It's the job, love."

"I'll talk with the gang unit," Chin cut in. "See if anything has come across their desks lately that might have led up to this."

Steve nodded. "Good. Gabby, I want you to check in with Kono. The two of you can sift through everything we get from forensics."

Danny shook his head. "I cannot believe she came in today."

"You didn't really expect her to sit home, did you?" Chin asked. "C'mon, brah. You know Kono better than that. She can't wait for medical clearance to get back in the field."

Steve's jaw tightened. "She's not getting her gun back until she gets that clearance."

"Please," Gabby replied. "Like she doesn't have at least two backups on her."

His expression turned even more sour and he gestured to the car. "Danno, let's go."

Gabby frowned. "What was that?"

"That," Danny answered, "is what I like to call his 'aneurysm face.' And that particular one is what we see whenever the youngest member of our little ohana is in danger. Try not to taunt him about it."

"That's half the fun, though."

"Please. I am the one that will have to suffer."

Gabby sighed. "Fine." She waved a dismissive hand at him. "Off with you. Your chauffeur is getting agitated."

"I'm gonna tell him you said that," Danny promised, heading towards the car.

"You do that. I'm not afraid of a piddly Navy SEAL."

He grinned. "I am _definitely_ telling him that."

* * *

><p>"Knock knock."<p>

Kono looked up to see Gabby walking in, and she smiled at her friend. A part of her had loved when it was just the four of them on the team - they had learned how to balance everything just right, and a fifth person could easily thrown them off-kilter. But Gabby was a good cop, and a good friend, and Kono was looking forward to having another woman to talk to on a daily basis.

"Hey. Did the boys kick you out already?"

She rolled her eyes. "I was introduced to Steven's 'aneurysm face.'"

"Uh-oh. What did Danny do?"

"Nothing, actually. This one was apparently directed towards you and your impatience at getting back out into the field." She paused. "That man worries about you."

Kono shook her head. "He doesn't need to. I can take care of myself."

"Perhaps he wants to take care of you."

She gave her friend an incredulous look. "Seriously? You've been here all of a week and you're already starting trouble?"

Gabby shrugged. "I do what I can. Has forensics sent anything over yet?"

"Just pictures so far. They're working on trying to get dental records from the vic - his body was too burned to get fingerprints."

Gabby grabbed a stool and sat down next to her. "I guess we get to look at pictures, then."

Kono grinned. "Guess so."

* * *

><p>"Akau Kealoha," Danny announced as he walked into the room.<p>

"God bless you," Gabby replied.

He grinned at her, one non-Hawaiian to another. "Our vic. His name was Akau Kealoha."

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that he was a local?"

Steve nodded as he came in. Kono was already pulling up the information on the computer screen while he began talking.

"High-ranking member of the Three Kings."

Gabby frowned. "How high-ranking?"

"High enough that this could mean very bad things."

Danny raised a hand. "Am I the only one who doesn't know who the Three Kings are here?"

Kono nodded. "Pretty much. Anyone who grew up on the island knows about them."

"And they've had a few cops on their payroll in the past," Gabby added. "IA has had some dealings. They are not pleasant individuals."

"Drugs, women, weapons," Kono listed off. "They do it all. It's a running joke that they own the island. Not so funny if you're a cop, though."

"Okay," Danny replied. "So who would want to knock off Akau? Aside from those of us wearing a badge, of course."

"The Brothers might," Chin supplied, stepping into the room.

"Are we talking actual brothers here?"

"That's how the gang got started." Chin replaced Kono at the computer, pulling up two other pictures. "Koni and Sione Fah. Brothers from Samoa that came here when they were teenagers. They quickly set up shop, and their ruthlessness forced out the competition. Wasn't long before their operation grew and they bumped up against the Three Kings. Things got nasty for awhile - bodies showing up everywhere, cops running from crime scene to crime scene."

"So what happened?"

He shook his head. "The deaths stopped. HPD assumed that a truce was made. There's a buffer zone now between the two territories and nobody messes with that."

"And where we found the body today?" Steve asked. "Whose turf were we on?"

"Three Kings."

"So somebody came onto their own turf and did this? That's a pretty bold message."

Chin nodded. "And if it was the Brothers, the Three Kings will hit back hard. This could turn into a full-scale gang war."

"Probably a good chance civilians will get caught in the crossfire," Danny pointed out. "So how do we cut this off?"

Chin's expression was grim. "I'm not sure we can."


	5. Chapter 5

They couldn't get in to see the brothers. If it had just been a matter of a door standing in there way, they all knew that Steve would simply plow through it, warrants be damned. But they couldn't find them. The last three suspected addresses turned up empty warehouses. There weren't even low-level thugs for them to pull in for questioning. It was like they had pulled in all of their people and simply gone underground.

"We're not getting anywhere," Kono sighed, rubbing at her eyes.

"No, we're not," Steve agreed, frustration clear on his face. "You guys might as well go home. We'll start over in the morning."

"Home?" Gabby asked. "What about some food? Or at least a drink. I think we all deserve that at this point."

"First round's on the new girl," Danny warned.

"Not surprising. But the offer holds. Let's go get something to eat."

It took a bit of convincing to get Steve to agree, but it wasn't long before all of them were out the door and headed to the restaurant. It was right in the middle of dinner time, but they lucked out when a large group left just as they were coming in, and it was only a few minutes until they were seated around a table with their drink orders in.

"Your first case with us and you manage to land a gang war," Danny noted to Gabby. "A little more exciting than IA?"

"A bit," she agreed. "It's just nice to not be hunting down cops for a change."

"You didn't like it?"

She shrugged. "I didn't mind it. I was quite good at it. But people outside of the department don't ever really want to be your friend. Understandably so."

"Well I have to warn you - most of HPD doesn't like 5-0, either."

"Of course not. You get all the latest toys and the governor's approval. You're like the bounty hunters out of some bad 70s film."

Danny put on an injured expression. "We don't really look the part."

Gabby scrunched up her nose. "The shirt, the tie...oh, and the hair, Daniel..."

He held up his hands. "Don't mess with the hair, Marcotte."

"I wouldn't dream of it, darling." She paused as her phone began to ring. Pulling it out of her pocket, she smiled faintly at the number on the screen and stood up. "Excuse me. I have to take this."

Danny watched as she got up and disappeared outside. He was impressed by how well she was fitting in with the team. Her friendships with Chin and Kono obviously made the transition a little smoother, but she also seemed completely at ease with him and Steve.

"I'd say she's working out so far," Steve said quietly to him, echoing Danny's thoughts.

He nodded. "She is indeed. A bit of a smartass, but..."

"I think that might be a prerequisite for this team."

"Speak for yourself, babe." The phone in his pocket started to vibrate suddenly and Danny pulled it out, frowning when he saw the name on the caller ID. "It's Stan." He hit the 'accept' button. "Everything okay, Stan?"

Steve kept a close eye on his partner as the conversation continued. He couldn't hear the other end, but it was fairly obvious from Danny's reaction what was going on. Steve didn't know if he wanted to punch Stan or give the man a sympathetic clap on the shoulder. The whole situation sucked, no matter what way you looked at it.

"Look," Danny said, trying to keep his voice from rising, "just bring her here, okay? I'm not - I'm not mad. It's just...you can't do this, man. Either you're in her life or you're not. You can't mess with her head like this."

There were a few more words exchanged and then Danny hung up, letting out a long sigh.

"You okay?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I gotta go, though. Stan is dropping Grace off in about fifteen minutes."

"At your place or here?"

"Here."

"Then you can both stay and have dinner."

"Steve -"

"Danny, stop. We're all family, here. That includes Grace. It's no trouble to add another chair."

"Boss is right," Kono said, cutting in. They didn't know much she had heard, but there was a knowing look and a soft smile on her face. "Grace is always welcome. You know that."

Danny looked at each of them in turn, seeing the same acceptance and love on each of their faces. He wasn't sure what he had done to deserve such great friends - he was, in fact, convinced that he_ didn't_ deserve them - but he was eternally grateful for them nonetheless.

"Thanks, guys." He stood up. "I'm gonna wait for her outside. Don't order me anything with that pineapple crap," he warned Steve.

"Wouldn't dream of it, buddy."

"You probably do, you sick bastard," Danny retorted, his smile softening the blow.

* * *

><p>Gabby had circled the building during her conversation with Charlie, smiling as he told her about a new recipe he had tried a few nights ago. By the time she hung up, he had made her promise to stop by in a couple of days so that he could make it for her - not that she minded, really. He was a fabulous cook and her closest friend. And she was never one to turn down a free meal.<p>

She was back at the front of the restaurant as she slid her phone back into her pocket, and she was surprised to see Danny standing there with another man and a small girl. She assumed that this was Grace, and when Danny spotted her and gave her a somewhat awkward wave, Gabby decided to go and introduce herself.

"This is, uh, Detective Gabby Marcotte," Danny said, gesturing in her direction. "She just joined the team. Gabby, this is Stan and my daughter, Grace."

"Pleased to meet you," she said, shaking Stan's hand. He openly flinched, but she was already turning away, crouching down to meet Grace's eyes. "And it is very nice to meet you indeed, Grace. Your father talks about you quite a lot."

The little girl stared up at her with sad, intelligent eyes. "You're from England?"

"Yes. I moved here from London quite a few years ago."

"My mom was from London," Grace said quietly.

Gabby didn't miss the past tense she used. She thought back to the way Stan had flinched when she spoke to him. "Does it make you sad?" she asked gently. "Hearing the accent again?"

Grace seemed to think about it for a few seconds and then shook her head. "I can't be sad every time I meet someone from England." She shrugged. "And you don't really sound like my mom. Your voice is different."

"Well I'm glad. I would hate to make you sad. Are you joining us for dinner?"

"She is, actually," Danny said. "Stan was just dropping her off."

"Can I have a hug?" Grace asked.

The other man looked startled at the request, but he crouched down and wrapped her in a tight embrace. Gabby wasn't entirely sure what was going on - though she was starting to piece certain things together - but it was obvious that Stan was holding back a lot of emotion.

"Bye, Grace," he whispered.

She hugged him even tighter. "It's okay, Stan." She kissed his cheek. "Goodbye."

His eyes were full as he nodded and stood back up. "I'm sorry, Danny."

Without another word, he got back into his car and pulled away from the curb. Grace waved after him, turning to her father once the car had disappeared.

"He's not coming back, is he?"

Danny rubbed his hand over his face. "No, Gracie, he's not. I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

"I make him sad, don't I? Like Gabby was worried her accent would make me sad. I remind him too much of Mommy."

And suddenly it all clicked for Gabby. The absence of a wedding ring on Danny, the pain on Stan's face, the past tense. All three of them had lost someone important to them, and Stan was still having a hard time with it.

Danny reached down for her, easily lifting her into his arms. "It's not your fault, monkey. He just...he still hurts a lot, you know?"

Grace nodded and Gabby was struck by the girl's wisdom and adaptability.

"You ready to go in?" Danny asked. "Everybody else is waiting for us."

"Gabby?" she asked as the three of them headed towards the restaurant.

"Yes, darling."

"If you're gonna be on the team, I need you to promise me something."

"Alright."

"You have to take care of Danno."

Gabby bit the inside of her cheek at the nickname - she had heard Steve use it and had managed to get the story out of Kono about where it had originated - and gave Grace a warm smile.

"I promise I will always do my very best to make sure your father comes home to you."

"There," Danny said. "You satisfied?"

Grace smiled and nodded. "Welcome to the team, Gabby."


	6. Chapter 6

The knock on her office door startled her, but Gabby grinned when she saw Gabe standing there, a smirk dancing across his face. He looked good - much better than he had in the hospital - and she had heard a rumor that he was coming back to work today. He held a black cane in his right hand and he was leaning on it slightly. She knew it must have been driving him nuts to have to use it, but Gabe wasn't an idiot. If the doctor told him something was going to help his leg heal faster, then he was going to follow orders. He had his pride, but he didn't let it get in the way.

"Hey stranger," he greeted warmly. "Got time for an old friend?"

Gabby was up and around the desk in seconds, wrapping him in a tight hug before lightly punching his arm. "I always have time for you. You know that. How are you?"

"I'm good. Glad to be back. What about you? How's the new job?"

She gestured to the chairs and they both sat down. There was a flash of relief across his face and she knew that being up and about was taxing on him, even if he wasn't going to admit it.

"The job is good," she said, leaning back. "I really like the people. You know I adore Chin and Kono."

"What about the other two?"

"They're a handful," she admitted with a smile. "But they're good people. The governor put me in a great spot and I'm really happy." She paused. "We even caught a big case for my first one."

"So I've heard." Gabe's smile faded. "That's why I'm here."

"Oh, don't tell me we're stepping on your toes..."

"No, no, no. We caught one of the guys from our failed bust. Sat him down and had a little chat with him."

Gabby sat up a little straighter. She knew that she wasn't on that case anymore, but she wanted the bastards who had hurt her team to pay for what they had done. "And?"

"And he started singing. He's low-level, so he didn't know much. But on top of the stuff he gave us for our case, he mentioned a few things that you might find interesting."

"Like?"

"Like something about The Brothers."

"We can't find them," she admitted. "We can't even find any of the current locations they're using. It's like they've gone to ground."

"I've got an address you can try. Might turn out to be a dead end like the rest, but..."

At this point she'd take anything. "Any strings?"

The question didn't offend Gabe - favors and strings were a part of a cop's professional life, whether he liked it or not. He just shook his head.

"Not our case. So I wanted to make sure the info got to the people who could do something about it."

Gabby grinned, but this time it had a dangerous twist to it. "We'd be happy to check it out."

* * *

><p>When Gabby had walked into Kono's office and asked if she wanted to go for a ride, the younger woman practically leaped up from her chair. The doctor had cleared her the day before, but there hadn't been any new developments in the case, and Kono was itching to get back out there.<p>

"Where are Daniel and Steven again?" Gabby asked as they got into her car.

"Meeting with the governor."

"And Chin?"

"Doctor's appointment."

Gabby nodded. "Alright then."

Kono gave her a suspicious look. "Any reason you're checking to make sure that they're all unavailable?"

She gave a shrug that was supposed to pass for innocent. "I just have a small _possible_ lead to check into. And if Steven were here, he would probably insist that he and Daniel check it out without us. He certainly wouldn't let you go. And I think that you and I deserve a chance to follow this up. Don't you?"

Kono was grinning from ear to ear. "Absolutely."

Gabby filled her in on the drive over. She didn't expect to find anything other than low-level thugs at the address - if they found anything at all - but low-level was better than nothing. If they could get their hands on someone inside the gang, maybe they could get the name of someone that was just a step higher. Gangs were a lot like businesses - there was a ladder you had to climb. Gabby didn't care how many rungs she had to step on to get to the top.

"Why would they talk to us, though?" Kono asked. "We can't charge them with anything."

"Not yet. I wonder if any of them have outstanding warrants on them..."

"You think they'll tell us their names?"

"I was thinking we could snap a few pictures."

"That will probably piss them off."

"Think they'd try to stop us with force?"

Kono was catching on. "Assaulting a police officer would give us more than enough reason to haul them in for questioning."

"Funny. I was thinking the same thing."

The address took them to a little pizza joint. Kono and Gabby exchanged a look over the roof of the car as they made their way to the door - civilians wouldn't make their job any easier. In fact, if it came down to that, they might have to back down and try again another time. Neither really wanted to do that.

The interior seemed especially dark after the sun outside and it took their eyes a moment to adjust. Once they did, they looked around in surprise.

There was no one there.

There were enough chairs and tables to fit maybe twenty or so patrons, but each one was empty. The counter wasn't manned, and Gabby ducked slightly to get a better look into the kitchen beyond, and there was no one there, either.

"Odd," Kono said quietly.

"Americans still like pizza, don't they?" Gabby asked, her voice hushed as well.

Kono nodded. "We're pretty attached to it, actually. And I'm pretty sure that noon is still lunch time for most people."

"Curiouser and curiouser..."

That was when they heard it. The scuff of a shoe against a tiled floor and then the clatter of pots and pans. It wasn't the sound of someone cooking though, and as their ears picked up the low voices, it became obvious that someone was having a bad day.

"We call that exigent circumstances, don't we?" Kono asked.

"Yes, I'm fairly certain this would qualify. At least, that's how I plan on explaining this to Steven. Work for you?"

Kono already had her hand on the butt of her gun. "Sounds good."

Gabby led them down a small side hallway that took them past the counter and to a dark wooden door. It was the kind that swung back and forth, and without a small window in it, there was no way for them to get a read on the situation on the other side. The voices were still arguing, though, and Gabby's left hand drifted to her own weapon as the other rested on the door. Looking back at Kono, she waited for the other woman's nod before pushing the door open and striding in like she owned the place.

"Hello, boys," she said boldly. "Something we can help with?"

There were three men standing there, all well-built and tall. Tattoos ran up and down their arms, and Gabby immediately pegged them for gang members. The Desert Eagle one of them was holding really completed the picture, and though he was pointing it at one of the other men, she and Kono had their own weapons out in less than a heartbeat. He changed his aim at the same time, and now they had themselves a standoff.

"Five-0, boys," Gabby said calmly. "That means shooting us will get you a _world_ of trouble that you really don't want."

"What are you doing here?" the would-be shooter demanded. "This doesn't concern you."

Kono shrugged. "We just wanted some pizza, brah. Heard what sounded like a scuffle and hurried back here to help."

"We don't need your help," he sneered. "So why don't you just back out of here and we forget this whole thing?"

"So not gonna happen."

"Trust me, ladies. Walking away is your best bet."

Gabby frowned. "Did he just insinuate that, because we're girls, we can't kick his ass and drag him down to headquarters?"

"I'm pretty sure he did," Kono agreed. "You know how cranky that makes me."

"I do, indeed. I really think that you should share those kind of feelings. Otherwise they get bottled up and that's just not healthy."

"What the fuck is the matter with you two?" he demanded, eyes darting between them.

Kono gave him a flat look. "Weapon down," she ordered.

"Like hell."

It could have turned into a very long standoff, but the second man - the one who had originally been held at gunpoint - decided that he was going to make a run for it. He turned and bolted for a door behind him, slamming into the push-bar and escaping into the sunlight of a back alley. The sudden flurry of commotion made the man with the gun turn slightly and Kono took full advantage of the distraction. She dove in, throwing punches and working to disarm him. Gabby had just enough time to see him slam his elbow into Kono's face before the third man charged at her. He had been completely still during the verbal sparring of earlier, but he moved quickly now.

Gabby ducked his first swings easily, leg muscles tightening as she pushed herself forward and slammed a fist toward his solar plexus. He was slightly better than she was anticipating, though, and he dodged, the blow landing half an inch off its mark. It still pushed him back a couple of steps, but he picked up the phone from the desk - cradle and all - and slammed it into the side of her head. The room spun for her as she stumbled back, but she kicked out hard, her foot connected with the front of one of his kneecaps. He cried out in pain and dropped the phone and Gabby regained her equilibrium enough to punch him in the face. The hit was enough and she was able to get him down and his hands behind his back for her to cuff him.

Looking up, she shared a grin with Kono when she saw that the other woman was doing the same.

"I think we'll get some names."

Gabby nodded. "And I don't even think Steven will be able to yell at us for it."

* * *

><p>She was wrong on that front. Danny, Steve and Chin were all at headquarters when they pulled in, and the looks on their faces were not happy as they watched the women drag in their perps. Each one was tossed into a separate interrogation room and left there while the team convened in the conference room.<p>

"What the hell is that?" Danny exploded as soon as Gabby and Kono walked in. "We leave you alone for an _hour_ and you manage to get yourselves into trouble?"

"We followed a lead, Daniel," Gabby said.

"A lead," he repeated, hands already gesturing wildly. "A lead." He opened his mouth to say more, but nothing came out and he looked to Steve. "Please, feel free to step in here anytime, babe."

"Is there a reason neither of you thought to call in?" Steve asked, arms crossed tightly over his chest. His eyes moved over to Kono. "You just got cleared for field duty. You looking to land back in the hospital already?"

Gabby sighed. In reality, she should have seen this coming. "Steven, it's not Kono's fault. I got a possible lead on an address. We were just going over there to see if it was worth checking out."

"And somehow that led to bruises on your face?" Danny asked.

"The restaurant was obviously a front. No one inside. But then we heard a crash and some arguing from the back. We went to check it out. The two we dragged in were threatening a third man with a gun. He got away, unfortunately. There wasn't time to call for backup, and the two of us can handle ourselves just as well as the rest of you can."

It was obvious that both Danny and Steve wanted to argue that last point, but it was Chin who spoke, his voice quiet and calm.

"She's right." He nodded at Gabby. "You think they work for the Brothers?"

"My source said there's a good chance."

"Then I say we question them."

Steve didn't look like he was ready to let it go. The muscles of his arms were tight, and his jaw looked as though it had been chiseled from stone. His cell chose that moment to ring, though, and he had no choice but to answer it. Everyone watched him, but the call was short, and it was obvious that something had changed by the time he hung up.

"Gear up," he said. "We've got another body."


	7. Chapter 7

Kono stood there with her arms crossed, watching the interrogation through the glass. Danny and Steve were pros at this, even if it didn't always look like that to someone looking in from the outside. Sometimes they bickered, sometimes they outright argued, other times they just discussed things over the suspect's head as though the other person wasn't even there. An HPD detective watching the antics once had called it sloppy and unprofessional. Kono had taken a special delight in watching his face once her two guys had the drug dealer singing like the proverbial bird. She didn't have anything against her HPD brethren, but she had to admit that she enjoyed watching the ones who were jerks eat their words.

"How goes it?" Gabby asked, stepping into the room.

Kono smiled. "Dude's about to break."

"Good. I have to say - it might be a little intimidating facing down an angry Navy SEAL and a loud-mouthed Jersey boy."

"A little?"

Gabby shrugged. "I don't think they could break me."

Kono turned to look at her, one eyebrow raised in skepticism. She knew that her friend was tough, but that statement was just borderline ridiculous.

"Seriously? You had some training I don't know about?"

Her answering smile was a bit secretive. "Perhaps."

"You're just gonna leave that one hanging, aren't you?"

"Pretty much."

"Bitch."

Gabby laughed out loud at that. "Oh, darling, I adore you."

Kono just shook her head and turned back to the interrogation.

* * *

><p>It was a couple of hours later when Danny strode by Gabby's office, grabbing each side of the door jamb and leaning in.<p>

"Marcotte, let's go."

She looked up from the paperwork she was reading. "Go where?"

Danny stepped fully into the room, hands out in front of him, palms up. "Excuse me? Where? How about you just get up out of the chair and we get in the car and we go question some more people of interest?"

Gabby leaned back in her chair, obviously enjoying herself. "I believe we can call them suspects at this point."

"Technically, they haven't done anything wrong."

"Do these new leads have outstanding warrants?"

Danny made a face. "Perhaps."

Thinking back to her conversation, Gabby laughed out loud. So far, this team was really working out for her. She enjoyed the easy back and forth that they had, and the intensity with which they hunted down their leads and cases. It was a delicate balance that plenty of teams never really found.

"And Steven is letting you handle this without him? Those are big britches you're putting on, Daniel."

He nodded, giving her an amused smile. "You do this on purpose, don't you?"

"Do what? Taunt you?"

"Yeah."

"Of course. And you wouldn't have it any other way."

"Alright, princess. Let's get up and get moving. I'm sure you can handle taunting and walking at the same time."

Gabby got to her feet and smirked at him as she walked by. "Oh, sweetheart...you'd be _amazed_ at what I can handle."

She laughed again at the spluttering man she left in her wake.

* * *

><p>Steve and Kono didn't talk as he drove them to their next lead. Danny and Gabby were chasing down another person to question, while Chin held down the fort, sifting through the evidence from their latest victim.<p>

Steve was pissed. Somebody on the island was throwing around splashy murders, and this last victim wasn't someone with a rap sheet a mile long. Though the body had been cut up pretty badly, identification wasn't difficult with fingerprints and they had gotten a name. The fact that she was the girlfriend of a known player for The Brothers squarely connected the two murders. There was no doubt in Steve's mind that the gang would hit back. Usually girlfriends and wives weren't on the chopping block - honor among thieves - but this time it looked like the rules were changing.

"You're not still mad at me, are you?"

He looked over at Kono in surprise. She met his eyes easily, just like she always did, holding his gaze as she waited for an answer. Her bottom lip was still swollen from the fight she'd had with one of their suspects, and he stared at it for a moment before returning his attention to the road and letting out a deep breath.

"Look...I know you can take care of yourself. I've seen it on more than one occasion. I don't ever want you to think that I doubt you, Kono."

Her mouth twitched upward slightly. "But?" she pressed.

"But..." He shrugged. "I worry about you." He held up a hand to hold her off. "I know, I'm not supposed to. It's not because you're the youngest, or because you're a woman, or any of that crap. I _know_ you can do the job."

She frowned. "Then why?"

That was the one question he didn't want her to ask. He couldn't tell her about the sick feeling in his stomach whenever he knew that she was in danger. He couldn't tell her about the feeling in his chest that some part of recognized as utter terror whenever she was facing something big and he wasn't there to protect her. Even if he was willing to share those things with her - which he most definitely wasn't - he didn't even know how to begin explaining them. He just needed her to be safe. That was the end of it.

"You're my friend," he finally said, his voice quiet. "You're my friend and you are my family and I don't like it when you're out there and I'm not watching your back, okay?"

That was way more than he meant to say, and he wondered how the words had even formed in his head, nevermind making it all the way past his filters and out of his mouth.

Kono's voice was gentle. "You know you can't always have everybody's back, right?"

"Well now who made that rule up?" he asked, risking a glance at her as he gestured with one hand. "That rule sucks."

She smiled and nodded. "That it does, boss. But hey - you can have my back today, okay?"

Steve couldn't keep the grin hidden. "I'll take that," he said.

* * *

><p>"I would like to point out that you are bleeding. Again."<p>

Gabby rolled her eyes as she slammed the car door shut, locking the suspect in the back of the HPD vehicle.

"And you, Daniel, are sporting the beginning of a very nasty bruise."

He gently probed his jaw. "Yeah, well, the jackass decided to resist arrest. What kind of moron does that?"

"Apparently the kind that likes drugs."

"At least I didn't get shot."

"Danny!"

They both looked up to see Steve and Kono coming towards them.

"What the hell happened?" he asked once they reached them.

"What happened?" Danny shot back. "What happened is that we calmly knocked on the door - per proper _police_ procedure - and this dumbass," he rapped on the window behind him with his knuckles, "answered the door. Probably thought we were buddies of his."

"I can see how one would make that mistake," Kono quipped.

Danny just kept going. "So he sees us - and we properly identify ourselves as officers of the law, by the way - and he freaks out. Before he slams the door shut on us, we happen to notice a powdery white substance on the kitchen table."

Steve nodded. "And you would be remiss to ignore such a thing."

"Exactly. And we would never want that. So Gabby here - in a move that would have made you proud, SuperSEAL - she kicked the door right back into the guy before it was even latched."

Steve gave her an appraising look. "Nice."

She smiled back at him. "Thank you."

"Anyway," Danny continues, raising his voice over the interruption, "we proceeded to arrest the lot of them on drug charges. They are, of course, refusing to speak without their due representation."

"Of course," Kono agreed. "How many guys are we talking here?"

"There were five. One almost got away, but, uh...Gabby managed to chase him down before he even got to the edge of the property."

Steve crossed his arms over his chest. "So you're telling me she did all the heavy lifting?"

"All the - No, Steven. I'll have you know that I had to take down three of the bastards while she only got two."

"Well, she had to run. Something you probably couldn't handle with that bum knee."

Gabby frowned. "Bum knee?"

Danny turned to her. "It's nothing." He wheeled back on his friend. "And you, sir, are a nuisance."

Steve shrugged. "I just call 'em as I see 'em."

"Yeah, well, someone should get their eyes checked. So what about the two of you? I don't see you dragging in any bad guys."

Kono sighed. "Our lead was a dead end. They'd already cleared out by the time we got there."

"Do you think someone warned them?" Gabby asked.

"Maybe. It was obvious they left in a hurry. Maybe we'll get something from forensics."

"How much you wanna bet we end up with another dead body first?" Danny asked.

Steve sighed, all traces of joking gone. "I don't like those odds, Danno."

"I'm pretty sure none of us do," Kono said. "So let's take these guys back and see if we can nail 'em to the wall."


	8. Chapter 8

"You wanted to see me, Governor?" Gabby asked as she stepped into the ornate office.

He looked up and gave her a smile, though she noticed it was one politician's used whenever they weren't really happy with something. She wondered if it was something she or the team had done, or if it was just the normal political crap of the day weighing on his mind. She really hoped that it was the latter.

"Detective Marcotte," he greeted. "Please. Sit down."

Gabby did, trying to look relaxed even as her body tensed. Like most cops, she didn't enjoy being pulled in to talk with authority figures. She just wanted to be able to do her job and go about her day without any bureaucratic bullshit.

The governor leaned forward, pressing his forearms into the desk. "I just wanted to know how things were going with your new team."

Warning bells went off immediately inside Gabby's head. Maybe she had worked with IAB for too long, but she couldn't stop herself from reading the man's tone, body language and facial expressions. His question was odd, too. Why would the governor - an obviously busy man - take time out of his day to check on one detective who had transferred over to a new unit? Sure, he had moved her over personally, but still...

"It's going very well," she answered honestly.

"You're getting along well with your colleagues?"

"Yes."

"And you enjoy the work?"

Gabby gave him a hesitant smile. "Catching bad guys does give one a certain warm and fuzzy feeling inside."

"I hear you're working a particularly interesting and...risky case at the moment."

Her smile vanished. "If you'd like to discuss the case, Governor, you should probably speak with Commander McGarrett."

He spread his hands out. "You're already here."

"Yes, but he is my supervisor. And I would rather leave the informing up to him, quite honestly."

She could tell that wasn't the answer he was looking for. That didn't make any sense, though. What did he want from her that he wouldn't be able to get from McGarrett?

"I heard that you and Officer Kalakaua got yourselves into quite the scrape the other day," he continued, trying another route. "And you and Detective Williams as well. I had hoped that adding an IAB detective to the team would cut down on things like this."

Gabby struggled to maintain a blank expression. "_Former_ IAB detective. And everything was done according to procedure, Governor. Trust me - Detective Williams is quite keen on proper procedure."

"And yet he has been unable to rein McGarrett in."

Things started to fall into place, and Gabby inwardly sighed. "I do hope, Governor, that you weren't hoping to gain a lackey by adding me to the Five-0 team. I will not be a spy or a babysitter. I am here to do my job and watch my teammates' backs. That is it."

The smile was back. "I think you and I are misunderstanding each other, Detective. I am simply concerned with the safety of your team. The line of your investigation is risky, as I said earlier. You're dealing with some very dangerous men."

"All the more reason to take them down as quickly as possible."

"Yes, well." He stopped there, tapping on his desk for a moment before rising to his feet. "I'm glad that things are working out so well for you."

It was a clear dismissal and Gabby got to her feet, anxious to get out of the office. "Thank you."

When he didn't say anything further, she turned and headed for the door. A part of her was itching to call McGarrett and let him know about the conversation she had just had. Another part of her wanted to take a drive and think things through first.

"Detective?"

She had almost made it out when his voice stopped her. Turning, Gabby studied the man that had plucked her out of IAB and dropped her into Five-0 without ever explaining why he was doing her the favor. He looked just like any other politician - greying hair to match the grey suit, wrinkles that announced maturity but didn't betray age, and a face that could lie to the masses about anything he deemed worthy of being kept secret. It all added up to a man she wouldn't trust any farther than she could thrown him - and maybe not even that far.

"Yes, Governor?"

"Do be careful," he said, his words heavy. "Men like this don't care about who's in their way - only how quickly they can dispose of them."

Her footsteps echoing on the floor as she finally made her escape, Gabby couldn't help but hear the threat underneath those words.

* * *

><p>Gabby didn't really have time to think the issue through. Her phone was ringing before she was even out of the building.<p>

"Marcotte."

"It's Danny."

"What's up?"

"Any chance you could come pick me up?"

Gabby unlocked her door and slid in behind the steering wheel. "Please tell me Steven didn't do something horrible to the Camaro."

She could almost see Danny's expression on the other end. "Please do not even suggest such a thing. The Fates will hear it and then I will lose my car."

Gabby chuckled. "Then why do you need me to pick you up?"

"Because SuperSEAL decided to go follow up on a lead with Kono and took my car without asking. Gracie has a half day and I just got a call from her nanny, who suddenly can't pick her up. Which means I need to get to the school in about twenty minutes. So if you could come get me and drive me over there, I will be eternally grateful and owe you...well, I'm not sure what. But I'll owe you something good."

"It better be." She started the car. "I'm on my way."

* * *

><p>Danny held up a hand as Gabby drove them towards Grace's school. "So let me get this straight – you're accusing the governor -"<p>

"I am not accusing him of anything," Gabby interrupted quickly. "I am simply pointing out some oddities in our conversation. Not to mention the whole fact that the conversation happening was odd."

"You think he's dirty."

"I didn't say that."

"Right, I'm sorry. You used a bunch of other words so that you could pussyfoot around the fact that you're accusing the governor of Hawaii of being in bed with one of the most dangerous gangs on the island."

Gabby sighed. "It was odd," she reiterated.

"I don't disagree. We'll talk to the team when we get back to the office. However high up this thing goes, we'll figure it out. We've managed to knock down some mid-level members. Every perp we drag in gives us someone bigger."

"But how many bodies will we have to climb over to get to the top?" Gabby asked.

He didn't have an answer for that. They pulled up to the school and Danny got right out, giving his daughter a big smile as she came bounding down the front steps and into his arms. Gabby got out as well, leaning on the roof of her car to watch father and daughter greet one another.

"Did Uncle Steve break your car, Danno?" Grace asked, looking in worry at Gabby's Ford.

Danny gave her a smile. "What do you think I would do if your Uncle Steve hurt my car?" he asked. "I will tell you. He would be buying me a new car and I would be picking you up in such style that you wouldn't even believe. Today we're just driving...economy."

Gabby raised an eyebrow at that. "I'm sorry...did you just insult this wonderful vehicle that rescued you and delivered you safely to your destination? It seems a bit reckless to look a gift horse in the mouth."

Grace frowned. "Why would you look in a horse's mouth? That seems gross."

Danny laughed, loud and rich. "You are absolutely right, Monkey. Which is why we will _not_ be looking in any horses' mouths today. Sound like a plan?"

Grace nodded resolutely. "I like it."

"Of course you do, Monkey."

It only took him a minute to get Grace and her bag settled in the backseat, and then they were pulling away from the school and back out onto the road.

"Daddy, can we get my package?"

Gabby raised an eyebrow, but Danny was smacking his forehead dramatically. "I totally forgot. You and Mrs. Denning were supposed to pick that up from the post office after school, weren't you?"

Grace nodded. "It's a present from Grandma and Grandpa. We were gonna open it while we Skyped with them."

"Yes we were." His eyes slid over to Gabby and caught her smiling at their exchange. His eyes asked the question and she gave him a small nod. "Well, Monkey, you'll just have to ask Gabby here if she minds making a stop at the post office."

The puppy dog eyes were immediately turned on her and Gabby had to force back a laugh as she saw them in her rear view mirror.

"Gabby?"

"Yes, love?" she asked, trying to keep her face straight.

"Do you think we could stop at the post office for my present? Pretty pretty please?"

This time Gabby let her smile show through. "Of course we can, darling. I'll just add it to the list of things your father already owes me."

The post office was fairly busy, which wasn't surprising for that time of day. There were plenty of people who didn't get out of work early enough to get their business done, and their lunch break was the only viable time to do their errands.

The building itself was large and reminded Gabby of a floors and stone walls made it look like it belonged in some metropolis on the mainland, but there were plenty of things that made it obvious that they were in Hawaii - the palm trees and exotic flowers, as well as the pictures of stamps with leis on them that hung on the walls. The entire front of the building housed floor-to-ceiling windows that let in the afternoon sun, warming the lobby despite its size.

"So," Gabby said as the three of them got into line, "a box from your grandparents. Any idea what they've sent you?"

Grace shrugged. "Presents."

Gabby smiled. "And that's really all that matters, isn't it?"

"My parents seem intent on spoiling her," Danny explained. "No matter how many times I try to tell them that she doesn't need all of this stuff."

"It's a grandparent's prerogative to spoil their grandchild," she retorted. "Especially when they live so far away. When was the last time you saw them?"

Danny's expression tightened just a bit, and Gabby knew that she had hit a sore spot. "It's been awhile," he admitted.

"Have you ever been to New Jersey, Gabby?" Grace asked.

"No, I haven't. I've been to New York, though. Did your father ever take you into the city?"

Grace nodded. "It's important to go see the Yankees."

Gabby laughed. "You know, that doesn't surprise me in the least." Her eyes moved to Danny. "Jets fan as well, I assume?"

"Damn straight."

"Language, Danno," Grace scolded, tugging on his hand.

"You are absolutely right," he said, bowing down slightly to look her in the eye. "I do apologize."

Gabby's back was to the doors, and Danny didn't notice the six men who had entered until they were coming up behind them in line. Their hands seemed to be empty, but it was their expressions that made the detective uneasy. These were not men running errands on their lunch break. They were men with a mission that they were determined to carry out no matter what the cost. Instinctively, Danny reached out and placed his hands on Grace's shoulders.

Suddenly, everything in the room felt very wrong. Catching on to the way Danny had tensed and reached out for his daughter, Gabby slowly started moving one hand towards her gun, only to be stopped by the sound of a weapon being cocked before it was pressed to the base of her skull.

"Move your hand away from the gun," a voice ordered. "Slowly. I have no issues putting a bullet through your head."

Gabby did as she was told, raising both arms to show that she was obeying. Her eyes locked on Danny's and they stared at one another. Despite that, she was well aware of the gun that was also being pointed at Danny's stomach.

"Now give us the girl."


	9. Chapter 9

Danny thought he was going to be sick when the bastard told him to give up his daughter. There was no way that was going to happen, of course, but the fact that these thugs had come in here with the sole purpose of taking the one person in this world that meant _everything_ to him was almost too much to swallow. He was used to bad guys wanting to hurt him. The idea of them targeting Grace made him feel like all the air had been sucked out of the room.

"You don't think we're actually going to comply, do you?" Gabby asked before he could even get a word out.

Her eyes caught Danny's for just a moment before flicking off to the left. His gaze followed hers and he saw a long corridor with an emergency exit at the end. It was their best bet. His hands tightened on Grace's shoulders and he tried to sneak her a few steps closer to the hallway.

"Arguing with us is only gonna cause bloodshed," the man with the gun pointed at Gabby said.

"You're absolutely right," she agreed. "I just hope that you realize it will be your own."

Her eyes met Danny's again and her nod was almost imperceptible. Almost.

"Grace, _RUN_!"

His little girl didn't hesitate, heading straight for the direction Danny steered her towards. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Gabby moved at the same time he did, forcing the gun away from her head while she tried to disarm her opponent. Danny did the same. But in what felt like slow motion, he saw another man raise a gun - and it was pointed right at Grace's back. Danny fought to reach him, to knock him down, to take the bullet himself, but there were too many of them and he couldn't get there.

The sound of the shot shattered his heart.

He was grabbed roughly from behind and then punched in the face by someone else before being turned to face his daughter. Instead of seeing her lifeless body on the floor, though, he saw Gabby helping her to her feet and pushing her back, the British woman acting as a human shield. With her standing there, it was impossible for their attackers to get a clean shot at Grace.

A gun was pressed to his temple and then another man - who Danny assumed to be the leader - stepped closer to Gabby, his own weapon pointed at Danny's chest.

"Give us the girl."

"Are you daft?" she asked, her voice oddly calm. "There is no way that's going to happen."

"We'll kill every person here."

"Go right ahead," she said without hesitation. "There is literally _no one_ in this world that you could threaten that would make me give you this little girl."

In that moment, Danny could have kissed her. He knew that she wasn't bluffing. No matter what happened to him, Gabby wasn't going to let anyone hurt his daughter. The ache in his chest didn't go away, but he was able to breathe just a little bit easier.

The gun at his head pressed into the skin even harder.

"We'll kill him," the leader said, his voice deathly quiet.

"Daddy!" Grace cried.

"And I would mourn for him for the rest of my days," Gabby returned. "He's a good friend and great cop and the most wonderful father. But I will _not_ let you hurt his daughter."

"GIVE US THE GIRL!" he roared.

"Over my dead body!" she yelled back.

He swung his gun around until it was pointed right at her face. "That can be arranged," he said.

Gabby gave him a cold smile. "I was _really_ hoping that you were as stupid as you look."

Danny only had a couple of seconds to be impressed with how quickly Gabby disarmed the bastard. Then he was throwing his own punches; he bounced one guy's head off of the nearest counter, not caring whether he was dead or just unconscious. When he was finally free, he made his way to Grace, wrapping her up in his arms and holding his gun at the ready for any other threats.

There weren't any. While he had been taking down the two men holding him still, Gabby had been busy. Three of the remaining four were lying on the floor, not moving. The fourth - the man who had done all the talking - was putting up more of a fight. Danny watched in disbelief as Gabby parried every punch and kick with skill, and he found himself wondering where on earth she had learned to fight. Something caught his eye though, and he had just a moment to register that it was silver and glinted in the sunlight streaming through the windows.

"Gabby -!"

Danny wasn't entirely sure how it happened. But with an intricate spin that deflected her attacker's knife away from her, Gabby produced a blade of her own and and slammed it upward with her right hand. The knife went straight up through the man's chin, killing him instantly. With a sickening thud, he fell to the floor, leaving the room in a quiet pierced only by frightened whimpers and heavy breathing. Gabby turned to look at him and Grace.

"You're alright?" she asked, her eyes quickly moving over the both of them.

Danny just nodded and held his daughter tightly.

Things started to blur as cops and EMTs came rushing into the building. Danny knew that he had Grace and that the two of them were okay, and for the moment, that was everything he needed to know. He carried her out the doors and just stood at the top of the stairs breathing in fresh air and basking in the sun. Usually he did his best to complain about the weather in Hawaii, but right then he was just happy that he and Grace were still alive. He glanced to his left, unsurprised to find Gabby doing the same thing a short distance away.

Somehow, through the din of the growing crowd, Danny heard slamming doors and familiar shouts. It didn't take him long to find Steve's worried face pushing past people as he and the rest of the team rushing up the stairs.

"Danny!" Steve yelled, wide eyes trying to take everything in.

He held up a hand. "We're okay," he said firmly. Gabby moved over to join the group, a strange look in her eyes, but Danny just kept his focus on Steve. "We're okay."

"What the hell happened?"

"Language, Uncle Steve," Grace said quietly.

That seemed to drag Steve down from his ledge and he took a deep breath, nodding. "Sorry, Gracie."

"It's okay."

He took another breath. "What happened?" he tried again.

Danny gave them the short version. He knew that a time would come when he would need to talk about it in more detail - not only for the paperwork, but for his own state of mind. He figured it would come after a couple of Longboards and he would yell at Steve, replaying each moment in excruciating detail. And because Steve was his best friend, he'd let him, and he'd get him another beer when his was empty, and he would keep Danny from doing anything stupid. It was what they did. For now, though, he just wanted to get through the basics and get _home_.

"Danno."

It took him a moment to realize that Grace was trying to get his attention. He stopped his story and looked at her, worry making his shoulders itch.

"What's up, Monkey?"

"Put me down, please."

He didn't want to let go of her, but there was a serious expression on her face that he couldn't ignore.

"I don't want you going anywhere."

She didn't meet his eyes, and that was strange. "I just wanna talk to Gabby."

Danny didn't really understand - what did she want to say to Gabby that she couldn't say to him? - but he put her down anyway, forcing himself to let go of her hand. His entire team was right there and the bad guys had been caught. She was safe. He just had to keep reminding himself of that. He watched her walk the two feet over to Gabby, but he was completely unprepared for the anger and tears in her voice as she addressed the detective.

"You promised!" Grace said sharply, her voice heavy with accusation.

The team stopped and stared, Gabby included. She squatted down in front of Grace, wincing slightly.

"I promised what, darling?" she asked.

"You promised to take care of Danno!" Tears were sliding down her face now and she sniffled. "You _promised_. But when the bad guys pointed a gun at him, you didn't help him! You told them it was okay to shoot him!"

Danny's chest suddenly ached more than it had while they were being held hostage. He took half a step forward to get to Grace, but Gabby held up a hand to stop him and he froze.

"You're absolutely right," she admitted. "But I cannot apologize for that. Do you know why?"

Grace shook her head, her mouth set in an angry line.

"Because those men in there were threatening _you_," Gabby continued. "You are your father's entire world. He loves you more than his own life. If I had risked you to save him, and they had taken you, or hurt you, it would have _destroyed_ him. The only way I could help your father was by protecting you. And I would do it the same way if I had the chance - because your Danno would rather die than let anything happen to you."

"That's not fair! If something happens to him, I'd be all alone! I don't have a Mommy anymore and they were going to take him away from me!"

It felt to Danny like the ground was giving way beneath him; Gabby didn't give an inch, though.

"I know that you love your father. I know that. But even if something happens to him, you will _never_ be alone. You have your Uncle Steven. You have your grandparents. Kono and Chin. Your ohana will always take care of you, Grace." She reached out with a shaky hand to tuck the little girl's hair behind her ear. "I know that you're willing to risk yourself to save him. I know that you're brave enough and strong enough. But that's not how it works. A parent has the right to die to save their children. It may not seem fair, but one day you'll understand. You'll have your own daughter, or a son, and you will understand why none of us could ever risk _you_ to save your father." Gabby paused. "I'm sorry that you feel as though I broke my promise. Perhaps we should amend it. I promise to take care of _both_ of you. And sometimes that will mean protecting you and trusting that your father will be able to save himself. I'm sorry, Grace, but I think that's the best I can do."

It seemed like everyone was holding their breath while the two of them just stared at each other. Something in Grace broke suddenly and cries turned painful instead of angry, and Gabby gathered her up in her arms, holding her tightly for a minute. Danny's chest ached again, but it was different this time. When they eventually pulled back, Gabby gave the little girl a small smile.

"Does this mean we can still be friends?"

Grace nodded. "I think so."

"Good. Now go on. I think your father might spontaneously combust if he doesn't get to hold you again right this second."

Grace turned around and headed straight for Danny's arms again, curling herself against his body in a way that both gave and sought protection. He tried to share a look with Gabby, but the woman's eyes were distant and unfocused. She turned, taking a few steps away from the group and leaning her hip on one of the handrails leading down the stairs.

One of Steve's arms half-rose, as though he wanted to pat Grace on the back, but he aborted the movement.

"We should get you guys out of here," he said quietly.

"Danno, I'm hungry," Grace said.

It unexpected statement almost made him laugh - it was a rush of normalcy in an otherwise crazy situation. Pulling back slightly to look at her, he nodded.

"I am too, Monkey. Maybe we can convince your Uncle Steve here to -" He froze, staring at his daughter's shirt in sickening horror. "Grace, where are you hurt?"

She frowned. "I'm not -"

Danny was already running a hand over her torso. There was blood on her shirt and now it was on his hands and his little girl was bleeding. She was bleeding and she had been bleeding this entire time and no one had noticed. He hadn't noticed -

There were no wounds.

He forced himself to breathe. "Grace," he said slowly. "Sweetheart, why is there blood on your shirt?"

She was getting scared now and she shook her head. "I'm not hurt, Danno! It's not me!"

That didn't make any sense but then his mind flashed back. A gun shot going off behind him and then he had turned around expecting to see Grace lying dead on the floor. Instead, he had seen Gabby helping her up off the floor. Gabby, who must have dived in front of his daughter to knock her out of the bullet's path. Gabby, who had been oddly quiet since they'd come outside. Gabby...

He looked up sharply, eyes seeking her out. She seemed even farther away now and he could see the slump in her shoulders and the way her hands were shaking.

"Gabby!" he yelled.

She didn't look at him. Instead, she raised one hand and pressed it to her right shoulder. When her fingers came back bloody, she stared at them in disbelief, as though her mind couldn't make the connection. He saw her knees buckle.

Danny couldn't move fast enough, but Steve was already throwing himself forward. He used one hand to swing himself under the handrail and was there just in time, catching Gabby as she fell forward onto the stairs. Her black shirt had hidden it, but from this angle, Steve could clearly see the ragged hole in her shoulder.

"She's been shot!" he called out.

Without another word, he swung her up into his arms and ran down the rest of the stairs and toward a waiting ambulance.


	10. Chapter 10

There was a small part of Danny that was pretty sure he was in shock. The drive to the hospital had been a blur - he wasn't even sure if Chin or Kono had done the actual driving. Steve had gotten into the ambulance with Gabby, her blood soaking through his shirt.

Her blood.

He was still having trouble wrapping his brain around it. This woman, whom he'd only known for a few months, had taken a bullet for his daughter. Gabby was a cop, and protecting people came with the territory, but it hadn't stopped there. She had kept her body between the men with guns and his little girl. She had been defiant, never wavering in her protection of Grace. She had even taunted one of them until he pointed his gun at iher/i face. She had fought until every last bastard was down on the ground and then she had a touching conversation with Grace afterward.

Danny found himself wondering if she had realized she was injured, or if the adrenaline had just carried her through until she crashed.

He heard Grace sniffling and he tightened his hold on her as they sat in the waiting room of the ER. She was shaking. Pulling himself together and out of his thoughts, he brushed her hair out of her eyes and looked down at her.

"It's gonna be okay, Monkey," he said softly, praying to God that he was right.

"She got hurt because of me."

"No, no, no. She got hurt because bad men with guns hurt her. This isn't your fault, Grace. Not at all."

"I want her to be okay, Danno."

He kissed her forehead. "Me too," he breathed.

His daughter wasn't the only one who needed comforting. Steve sat across from him, leaning forward, bloody hands hanging limply between his knees. The man hadn't even cleaned up yet. Danny knew he was going to have to be manhandled into a bathroom and coaxed through the process, but he just couldn't leave Grace. Looking over to his left, he caught Kono's eye. He could have kissed her when she walked right over to Steve and squatted down in front of him, hands on his knees.

"C'mon, boss," she whispered.

Steve shook his head. "I have to stay."

"Danny and Chin have got it covered right now. We need to get you cleaned up. Chin brought your go bag in. Less than ten minutes and we'll be back, okay?"

"I -"

"You should go get clean, Uncle Steve," Grace said quietly, head tucked against her father's chest. "They won't let you go see Gabby with dirty hands."

It was like he was just noticing the blood on his hands. His entire body tensed up and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down slowly. Danny wasn't the only one who saw the panic in his eyes though, and Kono closed her hands over his, blocking his view of the blood.

"Come on."

Steve stood on shaky legs and followed her down the hall.

* * *

><p>Kono got him into one of the single bathrooms, locking the door behind them before pushing Steve back until he could perch on the edge of the sink. There was still panic in his eyes and she could see that he wasn't far from shutting down on her completely. He didn't handle people he cared about being injured very well. Usually there was the rush of catching the bad guy to keep him going, but waiting for word from the surgeon was fraying his edges. She knew that he wasn't far from announcing that he was going back to the office to see what evidence they had from the shooting; he felt safer there, behind the badge and the gun and the facade of a mission. The only place he needed to be right now, though, was in the hospital. It wasn't just Gabby that needed him - since she was unconscious and in surgery - but Danny and Grace as well. Just having him there kept the two of them from falling apart as well. The two of them had been through hell today and they needed Steve to just be there.<p>

"Hands first."

She reached around him to turn the water on, waiting until it was warm. Steve moved once she gave his elbow a small nudge and then he washed his hands, the simple action seeming to bring him back a little bit. Not for the first time, Kono prayed that nothing serious ever happened to Danny or Grace. She wasn't sure Steve would be able to handle it.

As Steve shut the water off, Kono pulled down a few paper towels and handed them to him. He dried his hands and then tossed the towels into the garbage, sighing as he leaned back against the sink.

"I'm okay."

Kono quirked an eyebrow at him. "Oh really?

Steve rolled his yes. "Yeah. I just...I didn't expect it. I thought everyone had gotten out okay. So when she passed out..."

"It hit you even harder. Trust me, I get it. I think Danny's in the same boat."

He ran a hand over his face, seemingly coming to a decision as he straightened up. "I need to get back to the office -"

"No."

Her voice was firm and it startled him into silence for a moment. "Excuse me?"

"No," Kono repeated. "You're not going back to the office, you're not going over the evidence, you're not hounding Max until we get I.D.s on all of the bad guys. You're going to back out to the waiting room and sit next to your best friend and his daughter and you're going to wait until the surgeon comes out and tells us that Gabby is okay. This isn't up for negotiation, McGarrett."

A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. "Since when do rookies give the boss orders?"

"Since the rookies have a level head and know when their antsy bosses just need to chill out." He laughed a little at that and she softened her tone. "Danny needs you, brah. So does Grace. I know stuff like that makes you uncomfortable, but you just have to sit there."

"You're just not gonna let me off the hook, are you?"

"I learned from the best." Kono squatted down and unzipped his go bag, pulling out a fresh t-shirt and tossing it to him. "Here."

Steve stripped off his dirty shirt without any warning, though that was something Kono was used to. She admired his torso just like she did every other time she got to see it - the man was fit and she was human and she considered a job perk - before he slid the clean shirt on, shrugging slightly to adjust the shoulder seams.

"Better?" she asked.

He nodded. "Better."

She wanted to hug him, but she wasn't sure how well he would handle that. Instead, she reached out and squeezed his arm.

"C'mon."

She led him back out of the bathroom, ignoring the disapproving glare she got from a man passing by. If people wanted to think she had sneaked into the bathroom for a quickie, that was their own problem. Steve was completely oblivious to it, and they headed back to the the waiting room.

Danny, Grace, and Chin were no longer alone. A large black man that Kono recognized as Gabe was standing there, as well an old man with a full head of white hair. Even from behind she knew it was Charlie, and she smiled. Gabe caught sight of her and nodded.

"Kono. McGarrett."

"Hey, Gabe." Unlike with Steve, she had no problem hugging this man. He squeezed her tightly and she could feel the tension in him. He and Gabby had been friends for years and teammates for just as long. This couldn't be easy for him. "How are you doing?"

He shrugged. "Okay. Be better once I know she's okay. You know Charlie, right?" he asked, indicating the other man.

Kono nodded and hugged Charlie. "Of course. Not everyone else does, though." She pulled back. "Unless you got to introductions already?"

Gabe shook his head. "Just about to when you guys came over."

"Charlie, this is -"

"Actually, I think I might be able to guess," he interrupted, his British accent crisp. "Gabrielle has told me a great deal about you all."

"You already know me and Chin."

"True." He turned to Steve, mouth pursing as he thought for a moment. "Commander McGarrett, I presume?"

"Yes, sir." He held out a hand. "How do you know Gabby?"

"I've known her most of her life. We're the only family the other has left, so we take good care of each other." He turned to Danny. "That would make you Detective Williams." He smiled at Grace. "And your daughter, Grace."

"Are you Gabby's dad?" Grace asked.

Charlie shook his head. "No, I'm not. But Gabby's father died when she was just a little older than you. So I'm a bit of a surrogate, I guess you could say."

"She got hurt protecting me."

"Well that is nothing to feel guilty about, my dear. Gabby likes to protect people. It's just the way she is. She likes you quite a lot, you know."

"She told you about me?"

"She told me about all of you. She takes ohana very seriously. And you've all been quite kind to her since she joined the team."

"Why don't you all sit down?" Chin suggested. "I'll go get us all something to drink while we wait."

Steve opened his mouth to say that he'd join him, but he caught the look on Kono's face and stopped. She was right. Danny and Grace needed him right now and he needed to stay.

"I'll go with you," Gabe said. "Sitting around makes me antsy."

Steve knew exactly how he felt.

* * *

><p>Gabby woke up slowly, every part of her feeling impossibly heavy. A small voice in the back of her head reminded her that that was because of whatever drugs they had her on. She could hear the consistent beeping of machines and she could smell the slightly stale antiseptic air, and she knew that she was in a hospital.<p>

Her eyes still closed, her body tensed. Her brain struggled to remember where she had been before she had gotten hurt even as it threw disjointed memories of the past sixteen years at her. She tried to calm herself so that she could look at things logically, but her body was on autopilot, expecting the worst case scenario.

There was sudden pressure on her right arm and she told herself to be ready to fight.

"Breathe, my darling," a familiar voice soothed. "You're amongst friends. I promise." Another hand laid itself against her forehead. "Open your eyes, Gabrielle," the voice urged. "Come on, love."

Her mind was still trying to put the pieces together, but something inside of her relaxed at the voice and its words. Taking deeper breaths, she slowly let the tension ease out of her body limb by limb. Her eyes fluttered open and she winced against the harshness of the light, but she forced herself to endure it, knowing that her eyes would adjust themselves.

"There you are," the voice said. "It's a relief to see your beautiful eyes again, my dear."

Gabby turned her head slightly and felt the rest of her body relax. "Charlie," she croaked. "Where -"

"It's 2011 and you're in Hawaii," he explained quietly. "There was a situation at a bank and they threatened -"

Her body tensed again as she tried to sit up. "Grace -"

Danny appeared on her left, gently pushing her back down. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Supergirl. Lay back down. Grace is fine. She is upset and she is worried about you, but there isn't a scratch on her because you are actually some kind of action hero and you saved her."

Gabby laid back down slowly, wincing at the pain in her shoulder as her memories began to right themselves and her emotional equilibrium returned. "Oh, thank God," she murmured. "And you, you're alright?"

He looked at her like she was crazy. "Me? I am fine. Unlike you, I would like to add. You had Steven convinced that you'd been shot in the chest. I never thought I'd be so happy for a through and through in the back. Bullet didn't hit anything important and the doc says you'll make a full recovery. Of course, you almost cracked your head open when you passed out. Is there a reason you neglected to tell anybody that you'd been shot?"

"I didn't realize that I had been," she replied honestly. "Where are the others?"

"In the waiting room. Grace sent me in here to make sure you were really okay. Turns out she doesn't believe the nice doctor or his lovely nurses. I'm trying to figure out a way to blame McGarrett for her lack of trust."

She gave him a small smile. "I'm sure you'll manage it somehow."

"Of course, I'm a determined individual." Danny paused. "So, um...about that fight in the bank...You, uh...you displayed some moves that I don't think most cops know."

"Well, perhaps if police officers were better trained -"

"Gabrielle," Charlie cut in, "perhaps the charade isn't necessary."

"It's not exactly a small thing to divulge," she argued. "You know that better than anyone."

He shrugged. "Perhaps I've realized in my old age that I just don't give a damn. There are more important things in life than secrets."

Gabby fell silent, looking over at Danny as she thought it over. He obviously wanted to say something, but had decided that it was better to just keep his mouth shut for the moment. Looking at him, though, seeing the worry plain in his eyes and knowing that the rest of her team was waiting out in the hall, her decision wasn't as hard as she thought it would be.

"Are there any bugs?" she asked, looking back at Charlie.

He shook his head. "I swept the room more than once. It's clean."

"Grace can't hear any of this."

Danny frowned. "What -"

Charlie was already nodding. "I'll stay out in the hall with her. We'll make sure you're not disturbed." He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I'll go get the others."

Danny began gesturing wildly as Charlie left the room. "Would you like to fill me in on what's going on here? Why did Charlie search for bugs? And why can't my daughter hear this little secret of yours?"

"Daniel," Gabby said, her quiet voice cutting through his questions. "If you haven't put it together yet, I wasn't always a police officer."

"As a detective, yes, I had begun to detect that. So that begs the question...what makes up the rest of your resume?"

She fell silent as the others came into the room. Steve looked her over once from head to toe, and she could see the relief flooding his face as he saw that she was okay. Gabe was the last one to enter, firmly shutting the door behind him and nodding at her.

"Nice to see you're still breathing, Marcotte."

"Trust me, love, I'm just as happy as you are."

Kono came over to the side of the bed, opposite Danny, and took her hand. "You gave us quite a scare."

"I do apologize for that. I would have said something about a bullet hole going through my back, but I didn't actually know about it."

The younger woman gave her a watery smile. "Fair enough. Charlie mentioned that you had something to share with us."

Gabby nodded. The adrenaline that had rushed through her when she'd first woken up, not knowing where she was, was starting to wear off. She knew that very soon her body was going to demand sleep, and there wasn't anything she could do about that.

"This cannot leave this room under any circumstances. I need your solemn promise on that. All of you."

She waited until each and every one of them had nodded. Then she took a deep breath.

"Alright, then. As I'm sure you've guessed, before I came to live in Hawaii, I lived in London. Charlie did as well. When I was eighteen and just about to go into university, I was approached by a man about a job. Turns out he was an operative for MI-6."

Steve's eyebrows shot up and Danny let out a disbelieving laugh.

"Oh my God," he muttered.

"Needless to say," Gabby continued, fighting against the heaviness of her eyelids, "I took the job."

"You're a spy," Steve murmured, his voice flat.

Gabby shook her head. "I _was_ a spy, Steven. Actually, I was an assassin, to put it in basic terms. There were terrorist cells and I was sent to take out key players and to prevent attacks. I was quite good at it, actually."

Danny was covering his face with his hands. "That certainly explains the bank," he muttered. "You fought like a freaking ninja."

"Hand-to-hand combat was always a strong suit of mine. Anyway, about nine years ago, I left MI-6. I was tired of not being able to have a life. I was tired of killing people, quite honestly. Even if it did make the world a safer place. The spy game is a very murky world, and I didn't really enjoy it all that much. I met a man that I fell in love with and we got married and moved to Hawaii. I became a U.S. citizen, went to the Academy, and became a police officer. And now I am here with you."

Danny lowered his hands and peered at her. "What happened to the guy?"

Gabby's eyes fluttered shut for a moment. "He's no longer with us," she said quietly. Her eyes opened again and she focused on Gabe. "You don't seem all that surprised, my dear."

The big man shrugged. "Honestly, Gabby? A lot of things make sense now. And I've worked with you. You're a damn good cop. That's all I really need to know."

"You're a peach, darling."

"Wait, wait, wait," Danny said, obviously still not onboard. "You asked Charlie about bugs -"

"Well it's not like the British government was going to just let me go my merry way. Not with all the things I know about their secret operations. When I wanted to leave, we worked out a deal. They got me into the States with a clean, false resume, making it much easier for me to pursue the life I wanted. In return, I accepted the fact that they were always going to be watching and making sure that I didn't do anything to jeopardize them or their missions. It's worked fairly well for us, so far. But I'm not sure how they'd feel about you lot knowing."

"What about the governor?" Steve asked. "Does he know?"

Gabby shook her head, eyes sliding shut once more. "No. It's just all of you and Charlie. And really, that seems like more than enough, you know?"

She thought she heard Danny suck in a breath to ask more questions, but Kono squeezed her arm.

"You just get cooler the more I learn about you," she said quietly. "But you're freaking exhausted. We're gonna let you sleep, okay?

Gabby couldn't have stayed awake any longer if her life had depended on it. "Alright," she breathed.

Someone leaned over and kissed her forehead, but sleep was already reclaiming her. The door opened in the distance and she thought she heard her name. The voice was familiar and made her feel safe though, and she let herself drift off.


End file.
